ST. JOHN'S A NATIONAL HERITAGE SITE

SMK St John Recognised As National Heritage Site

KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 (Bernama) -- Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) St John, more popularly known as St John's Institution, has become the second school in the country to be recognised a national heritage building.

Deputy Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Joseph Salang said, among the factors for the recognition was the school's age.

This year, he said, the school turned 106, since its establishment on Jan 18, 1904.

Moreover, he said, the school had flourished into an important educational institution in the country's history, having produced some of Malaysia's prominent figures, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

"With this recognition, we believe that the school building and other sites on Bukit Nanas will be preserved and protected by the Heritage Act.

"If there are parts of the building that need to be repaired, we will do the needful," he told reporters after a ceremony proclaiming SMK St John as a national heritage site at the school on Friday.

So far, over 70 buildings nationwide have been given recognition as national heritage buildings.

SMK St John, officially opened by the La Sallian brothers, began in 1904 as a two-storey wooden structure with a brick pillar and verandah situated on Bukit Nanas.

Over the years, various additions were made to the school, including a hall, science block, gymnasium, two lecture halls named Shaw Brothers Building, Lee Kuo Chuan Building and a Form Six block called Tan Sri Dominic Vendargon Building.

However, despite new construction projects, the school still retains its distinctive Grecian-Spanish architectural influences with its red-and-white arches.

-- BERNAMA

********************************************************************************

UTUSAN MALAYSIA: 21 MEI 2010 : SMK ST JOHN DIIKTIRAF WARISAN KEBANGSAAN

• 
• 

KUALA LUMPUR 21 Mei - Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) St. John atau lebih dikenali sebagai St. John's Institution muncul sekolah harian kedua yang menerima pengiktirafan sebagai warisan kebangsaan.

Timbalan Menteri Penerangan Komunikasi dan Kebudayaan, Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum berkata, pemilihan itu dibuat kerana usia sekolah tersebut telah melebihi satu abad sejak penubuhannya pada 18 Januari 1904.

"Sekolah ini telah berkembang sebagai institusi pendidikan yang penting dalam sejarah pendidikan negara selain melahirkan tokoh ternama negara termasuk Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak,'' katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian pada sidang akhbar selepas majlis pengisytiharan SMK St. John sebagai tapak warisan kebangsaan di sekolah itu di sini hari ini.

Menurut Salang, sebagai tapak warisan kebangsaan, SMK St. John di Bukit Nanas itu akan dipelihara dan dilindungi di bawah Akta Warisan.

"Kementerian akan mencari jalan supaya bangunan yang berusia 106 tahun ini kekal terpelihara sebagai warisan kita,'' katanya.

Sementara itu, Pesuruhjaya Warisan, Prof. Emeritus Datuk Siti Zuraina Abdul Majid berkata, selain SMK St. John, lebih 70 bangunan di seluruh negara telah diberi pengiktirafan warisan kebangsaan.

Menurut beliau, pihaknya akan mempertimbangkan pemberian bantuan kepada warisan kebangsaan bagi tujuan pemuliharaan dan pemeliharaan.

"Pemberian bantuan akan diberikan bagi membiayai kos penyelenggaraan keadaan fizikal sesebuah bangunan dan infrastruktur,'' katanya

Turut hadir Pengerusi Lembaga Pengelola sekolah, Megat Mizan Nicholas Denney dan Pengetua SMK St. John, Leong Kum Loy.